Connect Groups (also known as Cell Groups or Home Groups) meet in various homes throughout the Waterside and are a crucial part of what God is doing in the life of New Hope. It is a great place of encouragement, support, growth and study and is the best way to build relationships and be connected to church life.

Please feel free to contact admin to enquire about joining group, where you'll be warmly welcomed and accepted.

What is a Connect Group?
A Connect group (or Home Cell) is a small group of people who are committed to first of all building up one another, and secondly to fulfil the great commission in reaching out to the lost. They meet together weekly, as well as having contact with other people throughout the week. The group is like a larger family than just your own. It is comparable to the cells in a human body that provide protection, communication, life, sustenance etc. Likewise the Connect group is there for protection, edification, acceptance, support and communication.

The Connect Group is for edification?
Edification is the building up of one another so that you can become a stronger and more effective Christian. God never intended that you be alone in your relationship with Him. He desired that each believer be connected to other believers in His body. This ensures that all the parts of His body can support, help and encourage one another to develop in their Christian walk. You, as part of the body of Christ, are very important and you have a specific function to fulfill. God wants to use you to help build and edify His body together with the rest of His children. In Ephesians 4:16 it says "from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." You need to form part of a Cell so that you can do your part in the Body and thereby find and fulfil your purpose and destiny in God's Kingdom.

Your commitment to the Connect Group
The Connect group will challenge and encourage your level of growth and commitment. In a group you will discover your ministry and gifting and you will find the joy of receiving a blessing but more important, of being a blessing. Make Connect groups a high priority in your life. Just as you form part of your own family, you are also destined to form part of God's family in a Connect group. Your presence is valuable to the rest of the group. Your participation will help build up the rest of the group. Make a decision not to allow anyone or anything to hinder you from attending your Connect group.

Your contribution to the group
You are a valuable member of your group. God expects you to be actively involved in the growth of other Connect members. The Holy Spirit will give you spiritual gifts to help you minister to the rest of the group (1 Corinthians 12:7-12). You can also help your Connect group by doing practical things for them and using your talents or abilities to help them. Commit to your group and allow the Lord to use you and work through you to edify His body.

God uses Connect groups to evangelise
God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God does not only want Connect groups for edification but also evangelism. Evangelism is sharing the good news with unbelievers. Evangelism in a Connect group is not the traditional standing on a corner and handing out tracts, or door-to-door evangelism. Evangelism in Connect groups is reaching out and touching those in your family, work mates and friends. This can occur by simply inviting them to Connect, or by getting the Connect group to visit your unsaved contacts. By establishing relationships with your unsaved family and friends they will become saved. Your Connect group will help you pray for your unsaved contacts and together you will see them get saved.

The New Testament Church was built on Home Cells.
"To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the Church in your house" (Philemon 1:2). There are many scriptures in the New Testament that refers to the Church meeting in houses. Paul told the Church in Rome: "Likewise greet the Church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the..." (Romans 16:5). There are many other references in the Bible, that show that God blessed His Body who met from house to house. There were general meetings in the synagogues and places of worship, that we today call Sunday Celebrations, but there was a great emphasis on the home fellowships. All people need individual attention and this can only be catered for in small groups. The Celebrations are very important, because on a weekly basis the Pastor shares the Word of God for the week and the Connect groups meet to discuss how the Word can be practically applied in their lives. The Word of God challenges all believers to be doers and not only hearers of the Word. In the group, members are challenged to walk in the light of the knowledge they receive.

Can each person participate?
God says: "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." (1 Corinthians 14:26). This is impossible in a large congregation and therefore can only effectively work in a small group situation. There is also a boldness and freedom in small groups and as a result believers have more opportunity to develop in spiritual gifts and can experience the dynamics of the Holy Spirit working through their lives.

You need valuable relationships
"By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35). The strong bonds that are formed in Connect groups, form a powerful team during times of crises and sickness. The strongest relationships are formed as a result of crises. Connect groups are constantly providing for the needs of members during these times like sickness, tragedy, or emotional trauma. Firstly God created us to communicate with Him and then with others. On God's agenda in this modern busy world people still remain His number one priority and this should be our priority as well. You need these personal relationships and in time you will see how valuable these relationships are. There is no better place to express love than in a Connect group. In the company of other believers we also learn to grow and mature in Christ. We are challenged and motivated to change. Without this accountability we stand a chance of becoming back-slidden and lukewarm.

Quoted from "Welcome To Your New Family" developed by Pastors from Little Falls Christian Centre.
Copyright © 2002 Little Falls Christian Centre -
(The name cells have been replaced with New Hope's name of Connect)